Tag Archives: 静岡

美食, 野菜, 観光, 農業, Gastronomes, Gastronomy, Italian Cuisine, Italian Restaurants, Japan, Japanese Gastronomy, Recipes, Shizuoka, Shizuoka agricultural products, Shizuoka Cuisine, Tourism

Italian Restaurant: Autumn Lunch (2012) at Aquavite in Shizuoka City!

September 24, 2012 dragonlife Leave a comment

Service: Excellent and very friendly
Facilities: Great cleanliness overall. Small but beautiful washroom
Prices: Reasonable to expensive.
Strong points: Great use of local products, especially organic vegetables. Top-class Italian wines. Private room for~8 people

It was about time I paid a long overdue visit for lunch at one of the best Italian restaurants in Shizuoka City and Prefecture, namely Aquavite in Aoi Ku, Shizuoka City, and check what Chef Masaru Aoki/青木優 was creating with products mainly from our Prefecture!

Great new board introducing the team!

Lunch menus according to your budget!

I always eat at the counter for a good reason!

But tables and chairs are more comfortable!

All these vegetables are organically grown in Shizuoka!

Now, what was I served?
Japanese-style grilled eggplant with Serrano Jamon Ham from Spain!
All vegetables organically grown by Shizen no Chikara Farm in Shizuoka City!

Naturally all bread is home-baked!

An unctuous cold organic corn (from Ikawa, Shizuoka City) soup conceived only with olive oil and salt. No dairy products! A vegan treat!

Corzetti pasta in creamy daikon leaves and bacon sauce!

For a closer view!

The corzetti pasta stamp!

Madai/True Seabream poelee with organic vegetables!
Let’s have a look around that dish!

Can you see the delicious fish from Shizuoka?
The Trevise is Italian but the other vegetables, including the violet potato, are all organically grown at Shizen no Chikara Farm (Shizuoka City) and Matsuki Bio Farm (Fujinomiya City)!

So yummy and well-balanced!

The fish! So soft and juicy!
And so artistically presented!

Time for dessert!

Can you guess?

Watermelon granite atop vanilla custard ice-cream!

Soft almond tart!

And for once, I had tea!

To be continued (count on that!)….

AQUAVITE
420-0034 Shizuoka Shi, Tokiwa-cho, 1-2-7, Tomii Bldg. 3F
Tel. & fax: 054-2740777
Opening hours: 11:30~14:00 18:00~22:00
HOMEPAGE (Japanese)
Credit Cards OK
Non-smoking private room available!

RECOMMENDED RELATED WEBSITES

Kraemer’s Culinary blog by Frank Kraemer in New York,Tokyo Food File by Robbie Swinnerton, Green Tea Club by Satoshi Nihonyanagi in Shizuoka!, Mind Some by Tina in Taiwan, Le Manger by Camille Oger (French), The Indian Tourist, Masala Herb by Helene Dsouza in Goa, India, Mummy I Can Cook! by Shu Han in London, Pierre.Cuisine, Francescannotwrite, My White Kitchen, Foodhoe, Chucks Eats, Things that Fizz & Stuff, Five Euro Food by Charles,Red Shallot Kitchen by Priscilla,With a Glass, Nami | Just One Cookbook, Peach Farm Studio, Clumsyfingers by Xethia, PepperBento,Adventures in Bento Making, American Bent, Beanbento, Bento No, Bento Wo Tsukurimashou, Cooking Cute, Eula, Hapabento , Happy Bento, Jacki’s Bento Blog, Kitchen Cow, Leggo My Obento, Le Petit Journal Bento & CO (French), Lunch In A Box,
Susan at Arkonlite, Vegan Lunch Box; Tokyo Tom Baker, Daily Food Porn/Osaka, Only Nature Food Porn, Happy Little Bento, The Herbed Kitchen, J-Mama’s Kitchen, Cook, Eat, Play, Repeat, Bento Lunch Blog (German), Adventures In Bento, Anna The Red’s Bento Factory, Cooking Cute, Timeless Gourmet, Bento Bug, Ideal Meal, Bentosaurus, Mr. Foodie (London/UK), Ohayo Bento,

Must-see tasting websites:

-Sake: Tokyo Through The Drinking Glass, Tokyo Foodcast, Urban Sake, Sake World
-Wine: Palate To Pen, Warren Bobrow, Cellar Tours, Ancient Fire Wines Blog
-Beer: Good Beer & Country Boys, Another Pint, Please!, Beering In Good Mind: All about Craft Beer in kanzai by Nevitt Reagan!
-Japanese Pottery to enjoy your favourite drinks: Yellin Yakimono Gallery

レシピ, Croquettes, 美食, 里芋, 農業, Food, Japan, Japanese Gastronomy, Kabocha, Recipes, Shizuoka, Shizuoka agricultural products, Shizuoka Cuisine

Halloween Kabocha Croquettes

September 23, 2012 dragonlife Leave a comment

Halloween might all be about pumpkins but when it comes to cooking kabocha is far better!
Croquettes are popular all over the world, so why not make some for Halloween!
The witches will make a special brew to drink with them!

INGREDIENTS (for 6 croquettes)

Kabocha: 500g
Milk: 2 tablespoons
Butter: 20g
Honey: 2 teaspoons
Cinnamon powder: a little
Salt: a little
Cheese or Camembert cheese: 20 g
Raisins: 10g

Flour: as appropriate
Egg: 1
Breadcrumbs: as appropriate
Sliced almonds: as appropriate
If you have them dried somen (thin Japanese wheat noodles)

RECIPE:

Cut kabocha into rough pieces.
Put inside oven dish.
Cook inside microwave oven for 8 mintes at 700 Watts.
Peel skin off.
Bear in mind kabocha will be very hot when you manipulate it!

In a bowl mash the kabocha.
Add milk, butter, honey, salt and cinnamon.
Mix well.

Separate the paste into 3 identical quantities.
Make two balls with the first quantity around cheese/camembert cheese.
Make two balls with the second quantity mixed with the raisins.
Make two plain balls with the third quantity.

Shape each croquette like a small pear.
Roll them in flour, then beaten egg and then breadcrumbs (or sliced almonds, or dried somen).

Heat oil to 180 degrees Celsius and deep-fy.

Serve 3 different croquettes on a dish and decorate with Italian parsley.

How about the above for a more elegant presentation with croquettes filled qith camemebrt Cheese!

So easy!

RECOMMENDED RELATED WEBSITES

Must-see tasting websites:

美食, 酒, 観光, 農業, Gastronomes, Gastronomy, Japan, Japanese Gastronomy, sake, Sake Brewery, Shizuoka, Shizuoka agricultural products, Shizuoka Cuisine, Tourism

Shizuoka Prefecture Gastronomic Guide 1: Sake Breweries

September 22, 2012 dragonlife Leave a comment

Shizuoka Sake Line-Up made with Shizuoka Homare Fuji Sake Rice (Official Shizuoka Brewers HP)

This is the first part of a long series featuring all aspects Shizuoka Prefecture Gastronomy from Restaurants to brwers and Producers which hopefully will serve as a complete guide in the future
This particular article features all the working (and producing their own sake) Sake Breweries in Shizuoka Prefecture:

EASTERN PART:

Bandai Brewery
Izu City, Toshigawa, 34
Tel.: 0558-72-0050

Takashima Brewery (Hakuin Masamune)
Numazu City, Hara, 354-1
Tel.: 055-966-0018

Fuji-Takasago Brewery
Fujinomiya City, Takara machi, 9-25
Tel.: 0544-27-2008

Fujimasa Brewery (Chiyonomine)
Fujinomiya City, Shimojyou, 642-1
Tel.: 0544-58-0003

Makino Brewery (Shiraito, Fujisan)
Fujinon\miya City, Shimojyou, 1037
Tel.: 0544-58-1188

Fujinishiki Brewery
Fujinomiya City, Kamiyuno, 631
Tel.: 0544-66-0005

Negami Brewery (Kinmei)
Gotemba City, Hodozawa, 850-4
Tel.: 0550-89-3555

CENTRAL PART:

Eikun Brewery
Shizuoka City, Shimizu Ku, Yui, Iriyama, 2152
Tel.: 0550-89-3555

Kansawagawa Brewery (Shosetsu)
ShizuokaCity, Shimizu Ku, Yui, 181
Tel.: 054-389-1733

Sanwa Brewery (Garyubai, Hagoromo no Mai)
Shizuoka City, Shimizu Ku, Nishikubo, 501-10
Tel.: 054-366-0839

Haginishiki Brewery
Shizuoka City, Suruga Ku, Nishiwaki, 381
Tel.: 054-285-2371

Masu-Ichi Brewery
Shizuoka City, Suruga Ku, Yamazaki, 2-32, 5
Tel.: 054-278-6005

Kumpai Brewery
Shizuoka City, Suruga Ku, Tegoshi, 302
Tel.: 054-259-3062

Suruga Brewery (Tenko)
Shizuoka City, Suruga Ku, Nishiwaki, 25-1
Tel.:054-288-0003

Hatsukame Brewery
Fujieda City, Okabe Cho, Okabe, 744
Tel.: 054-667-2222

Isojiman
Yaizu City, Negishima, 307
Tel.: 054-628-2204

Sugii Brewery (Sugi Nishiki)
City, Koishikawa Cho, 406-4
tel.: 054-641-0606

Aoshima Brewery (Kikuyoi)
Fujieda City, Aoshima, 246
Tel.: 054-641-5533

Shidaizumi Brewery
Fujieda City, Miyahara, 423-22-1
Tel.: 054-639-0010

Oomuraya Brewery (Wakatake, Onigoroshi, Onna Nakase)
Shimada City, Hontoori, 1-1-8
tel.: 0547-37-3058

WESTERN PART

Morimoto Brewery (Sayogoromo)
Kikugawa City, Horinouchi, 103-3
Tel.: 0537-35-2067

Doi Brewery (Kaiun)
Kakegawa City, Konuki, 633
Tel.: 0537-74-2006

Yamanaka Brewery (Aoitenka)
Kakegwa City, Yokosuka, 61
Tel.: 0537-48-2012

Kokkou Brewery
Fukuroi City, Yamada, 537
Tel.: 0538-48-6405

Senju Brewery
Iwata City, Nakaizumi, 2914-6
Tel.: 0538-32-7341

Hana no Mai Brewery
Hamamatsu City, Kita Ku, Miyaguchi, 632
tel.: 053-582-2121

Hamamatsu-Tenjingura Brewery (Shusseijyo)
Hamamtsu City, naka Ku, Tenjin Cho, 3-57
Tel.: 053-461-6145

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Must-see tasting websites:

美食, 酒, 観光, 魚海の幸, 農業, Gastronomes, Gastronomy, Izakaya, Japan, Japanese Gastronomy, Recipes, Restaurants, seafood, Shizuoka, Shizuoka agricultural products, Shizuoka Cuisine, Tourism

Japanese Izakaya: Taihei in Shizuoka City!

September 22, 2012 dragonlife Leave a comment

Service: Very friendly and easy-going
Facilities and equipment: Very clean overall. Clean washroom
Prices: Reasonable
Strong points: Authentic izakaya food making great use of local ingredients. Excellent sake list.

Taihei/泰平 is the epitome of a true Japanese izakaya in Shizuoka City, but still with a little twist as it opens as early (it closes early, too) as 3:30 in the afternoon!

Its entrance wide open onto a back street Ryogae-cho district in Aoi Ku, shizuoka City, seems of a passed age!

Taihei specializes in local fish or jizakana/地魚 in Japanese.
Mind you, it is so easy in Shizuoka Prefecture, but it’s still a pleasure!

And they also pride themselves in serving local gastronomy, or Furusato no Aji/故郷の味 in Japanese.
It has a long history as its owner Shooji Ueda/上田昭司さん opened it no less than 32 years ago!

As in any authentic izakayas worth their salt they serve traditional homey Japanese food that you can choose from the many dishes displayed for all to see!

Loads of it. No wonder the patrons are mostly locals!
Bear in mind that the place will be full within 30 minutes of its opening in spite of 16 seats each available at the counter and on tatami!

A very detailed menu is waiting to be served to you by five staff including the master of the place and his daughter!

Hatsukame Brewery in Okabe, Fujieda City!

They have a wide range of traditional drinks including many Shizuoka sake: Hatsukame, Kaiun, Shosetsu, Hana no Mai, etc…

Now, what did I order on that particular visit?
First, satsumaage, a Kyushu-style deep-fried fish and vegetable cake!

Of course, sashimi!

Served with freshly grated wasabi from Shizuoka and freshly grated ginger root!

And plenty of edible seaweed!

Katsuo/Bonito/鰹 from Shizuoka!

Flounder/Hirame/平目 from Shizuoka!

And Albacore Tuna/Binnaga Maguro/ビンナガ鮪 from Shizuoka!

Typical Japanese comfort food: Tougan butaniku soboro ankake! Winter melon served with minced pork meat in sweet and sour sauce!

Summer vegetables and octopus salad!

A typical Shizuoka product: boiled jumbo peanuts!

You will find these (up to 3 times the normal size!) only served in Shizuoka and Chiba Prefectures!

Looking forward to my next visit (as the first stop of the night!)!

TAIHEI/泰平
Shizuoka City, Aoi Ku, Ryogae Cho, 2 chome
Tel.: 054-251-3902
Business hours: 15:30~21:00
Closed on Mondays and National Holidays

RECOMMENDED RELATED WEBSITES

Must-see tasting websites:

美食, 農業, Gastronomes, Gastronomy, Halloween, Japan, Japanese Gastronomy, Kabocha, Recipes, Shizuoka, Shizuoka agricultural products, Shizuoka Cuisine

Halloween Kabocha Pancakes!

September 17, 2012 dragonlife 3 Comments

The Japanese love pancakes, be they American or European style!
Have you ever tried making some with pumpkin or Kabocha?
Here is a simple recipe for Halloween parties!

INGREDIENTS: (For 2~ people)

Kabocha: 250 g (without the seeds)
All-purpose flour: 250 g
Baking powder: 1 tablespoon
Syrup (or sugared water): 2 tablespoons
Salt: 2 pinches
Milk: 450 ml/2 cups and a quarter
Egg: 1
Salad oil: 1 tablespoon
Honey: 2 tablespoons

RECIPE:

Cut the kabocha roughly and cook for 3 minutes inside a microwave oven.
Check it is soft enough before mashing it.
It does not have to be mashed down to paste.

In a bowl pour milk, beaten egg, syrup, salt and beat the whole well.

Add all flour and baking powder and mix well.
Add kabocha and olive salad oil and mix well till you obtain a smooth paste.

Use a non-stick frypan if possible.
Oil the frypan with a piece of kitchen paper imbibed with oil to avoid using too much oil.
Pour enough paste for a pancake and cover with lid. Keep cooking over low fire.
Turn it over after 20^30 seconds and cook again for same length of time.

Serve at once if possible!

RECOMMENDED RELATED WEBSITES

Must-see tasting websites:

レシピ, 美食, 野菜, 農業, Gastronomes, Gastronomy, Gratin, Halloween, Japanese Gastronomy, Kabocha, Pumpkin, 南瓜

Halloween Kabocha Gratin!

September 14, 2012 dragonlife Leave a comment

Halloween will be soon with us again this year!
Have you ever thought of cooking all these pumpkins?
In Japan Kabocha is the most popular pumpkin as it is very solid, therefore easy to prepare in many ways!
How about a Halloween Kabocha Gratin, then?
A great comfort food for the whole family!

INGREDIENTS: (for 2 people)

Kabocha: 300 g
Onion: 100 g
Bacon: 60 g
Garlic: 1/4 teaspoon, grated
Olive oil: 2 teaspoons
All purpose flour: 2 teaspoons
Pizza cheese: as appropriate
Dried chopped parsley (or fresh, then chopped): as appropriate

For the white sauce (Bechamel)
Milk: 250 ml
Consomme powder: 1 teaspoon
Salt: 2~3 pinches
Nutmeg: a little
White pepper: a little

RECIPE:

Cut the kabocha into 7 mm thick slices (cut them in halves after that if too big). Place on a oven dish. Cover with cellophane paper and cook in microwave oven for 3~4 minutes at 600 Watts
Slice the onion thin.
Cut the bacon into thin 1 cm wide strips.

In a large skillet pour olive oil and fry bacon first.
Add sliced onoin and grated garlic. Fry until onion has taken on a nice light-brown color.

Lower the fire to minimum.
Add flour and mix well. Add milk and mix. Add salt, consomme powder and white pepper.
Mixing all the time cook until the sauce bubbles up.
Add kabocha and cook for 3 more minutes.
During that time heat oven to 250 degrees Celsius.

Transfer the whole into a gratin dish.
Cover with pizza cheese.
Bke for 10 minutes at 250 degrees Celsius.

When cheese has become a nice color, take the dish out. Sprinkle parsley over the cheese and serve!

RECOMMENDED RELATED WEBSITES

Must-see tasting websites:

レシピ, 美食, 里芋, 野菜, 農業, Gastronomes, Gastronomy, Japan, Japanese Gastronomy, Recipes, Shizuoka, Shizuoka agricultural products, Shizuoka Cuisine

Vegan Japanese Recipe for the coming Winter: Vegetables and Yuzu Casserole

September 13, 2012 dragonlife 2 Comments

I’m neither a vegetarian nor a vegan although I eat heaps of vegetables but many of my friends are.
It is always a problem for them to vary their food coming winter, unless they want to fill themselves with beans and potatoes all day long!
Here in Shizuoka we are blessed with a mild winter replete with citruses, winter vegetables and the like and it does become a paradise for such priorities.
Here is a very simple and very Japanese dish prepared with vegetables and yuzu/lime that you might often encounter in homes and restaurants.
This is the basic recipe you can expand at will.

Note that for better and more even cooking the use of Le Creuset-type pan/casserole is best!

INGREDIENTS: (For 2 persons)

Small turnips: as appropriate
Lotus root: as appropriate
Taro root/Sato imo: as appropriate
Cauliflower: as appropriate
Yuzu lime skin: 1/2 a fruit
Salt: as appropriate
Olive oil: as appropriate
Water: a appropriate

RECIPE:

Use a thick wrought iron pot (with lid such as a Le Creuset casserole).
Cut vegetables to size of your preference, but try to make them roughly the same size.
Place the vegetables inside the casserole.
Cut the yuzu lime skin in 1 cm long strips and place them evenly on the vegetables.

Pour the water gently on the vegetables. Cover with lid.
Steam for 3 minutes on a medium fire. Lower fir to minimum and keep cooking for 15 minutes.
Switch off fire.
Do not take lid off!
Leave as it is for another 15 minutes.

Open the lid.
Place vegetables on serving dish with natural salt and premium olive oil you will sprinkle or pour over the vegetables before savoring them!

Simple is best, isn’t it? (Well, most of the time!)

RECOMMENDED RELATED WEBSITES

Must-see tasting websites:

Beer, 美食, 酒, 観光, 農業, Gastronomes, Gastronomy, Japan, Japanese Gastronomy, Numazu City, Recipes, Shizuoka, Shizuoka agricultural products, Tourism

Bryan Baird’s Newsletter (2012/09/12): Seasonal Release: Pacific Porter

September 12, 2012 dragonlife Leave a comment

Baird Beer & Taproom Events Bulletin

Seasonal Release: Pacific Porter

Dear Taproom Friend & Baird Beer Enthusiast:

While fall has not fully arrived here yet, it most certainly is “in the air.” We are welcoming its arrival early, today, with the release of a fantastic seasonal brew: Pacific Porter.

New Baird Beer Seasonal Releases:
*Pacific Porter (ABV 7.7%):

This is the Baird Beer Pacific ocean version of a Baltic Porter (a strong dark beer fermented with lager yeast that has enjoyed historical popularity in Baltic sea region countries). The color is deep copper-brown, almost black. The aroma is soft, round and fruity with a hint of chocolate. The body is chewy but not thick. Subtly sweet flavors of caramel and milk chocolate are highlighted magnificently by an underbelly of nut and pit fruit character. The overall impression is one of smoothness and balance.

Pacific Porter is draught-only (no bottles this year). It is available for immediate release in Japan. It begins pouring from our Taproom taps tonight.

Cheers,

Bryan Baird

Baird Brewing Company
Numazu, Japan
HOMEPAGE

RECOMMENDED RELATED WEBSITES

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美食, Dessert, Desserts, 野菜, 農業, Gastronomes, Gastronomy, Japan, Japanese Gastronomy, Recipes, Shizuoka, Shizuoka agricultural products, Shizuoka Cuisine, Vegan, vegetables, Vegetarian cuisine

Vegan Japanese Dessert: Kabocha, Sweet Potato and Apple Pound Cake

September 11, 2012 dragonlife 4 Comments

The Japanese seem to have a natural way to come up with vegetarian and vegan dessert recipes as they originally didn’t use dairy products in their traditional confectionery, although it has much changed recently.
But you still can find interesting recipes in their gastronomic lore!

Here is one suggestion for a solid dessert which should please any priorities!

INGREDIENTS (For 2 pound cakes)

Sweet potato: 250 g
Kabocha (or similar pumpkin): 250g
Raisins: 1/2 cup
Fresh apple: 1
Walnuts: 1/4 cup
All purpose flour of your choice: 1 cup
Salt: 1/2 teaspoon
Vegetable oil: 1/2 teaspoon
Apricot paste: 2 tablespoons

RECIPE:

-Oil the inside of the pound cake molds and sprinkle with sieved flour.

-Peel the sweet potatoes and kabocha (although you can leave a bit on the later for better design. Kabocha skin is edible!). Steam till the vegetables are 80% cooked. Cut into 1cm squares.

-Chop the raisins and wet them with a little water finely spryed on them.

-Cut one quarter of the apple small cubes. Grate the remaining apple. Crush the walnuts into small bits.

-In a bowl pour the sieved flour and salt and mix well.

-In a separate bowl drop all the other ingredients and mix roughly to your liking. Mix in the flour gently and evenly. try not to make blobs!

-Pour the ckae into the molds and bruch with apricot paste.

-Preheat oven to 180 degrees Celsius and bake for 30 minutes.

-Let cool and serve at room temperature!

It is only a basic recipe. One can add spices and the like and decorate it!

RECOMMENDED RELATED WEBSITES

Must-see tasting websites:

美食, 野菜, 農業, Food, Food Health, Gastronomes, Gastronomy, Japan, Japanese Gastronomy, Recipes, Shizuoka, Shizuoka agricultural products, Shizuoka Cuisine

Japanese Recipe: Sauteed Vinegared Summer Vegetables (with vegetarian/vegan versions)

September 10, 2012 dragonlife 4 Comments

Summer, and the Fall in the case of Shizuoka. means an enormous supply of fresh vegetables and it would be a shame not to make the most out of it!
The Japanese love to use vinegar, especially rice vinegar and kuro su, black rice vunegar, with many dishes. It basically replaces the role of lemon juice in western cuisines.
Here is a simple recipe that should please all members of the family and also serve as a great snack!
For vegetarians and vegans just ignore the meat!

INGREDIENTS: (For 4 persons)

Meat (pork or beef thinly sliced) 100 g
Cabbage: 4~5 leaves
Carrot: a little
Onion: 1/2
Shishito/thin green peppers: 6
Cucumber: 1 (japanese style. If not use a small one)
Egg plant: 1
Zucchini: One 6-cm long piece
Mini tomatoes: 10
Edamame: a few

Vegetables for flavoring:
Garlic: 1 clove, chopped
Fresh ginger root: One cube (2x2x2 cm), chopped
Leek: 2 tablespoons, chopped
Red chili pepper: 1~2

Others:
Sesame oil: 1 teaspoon
Vegetable oil: as much as needed for frying

Sauce:
Water: 100 ml (1/2 cup)
Soy sauce: 5 tablespoons
Black rice vinegar (“kuro su”): 1 + 1/2 tablespoons
Sugar: 3 tablespoons
Slat: 1 pinch
Cornstrach: 1 tablespoon

RECIPE:

Cut/break cabbage leaves into bite size.
Cut the carrot into strips.
Slice the shishito peppers in halves or quarters lengthwise. Discard the seeds.
Slice the onion into 1 cm thick slices.
Cut the cucumber lengthwise into four strips and slice into bite size.
Cut the eggplant lengthwise and slice into 6 mm thick slices.
Cut the zucchini into 3 mm thick half moon slices.
Cut the red chili pepper in halves. Discrad seeds.
Boil the edamame (unless you can get them in cans) and take beans out.
Slice the meat into bit size.

Bear in mind that vegetables that cook easily should be cut into bits bigger than vegetables that take more time to cook.
Prepare everything beforehand for practicality, easy access and speedy cooking!

Mix the ingredients of the sauce well beforehand.

Pour 2 tablespoons of oil in a wok. drop the finely chopped vegetables for flavoring. When smell comes starting coming out, add meat and fry (skip the meat step if you are vegan/vegetarian and proceed to next step!)

Add and fry zucchini, eggplant and carrot first. If oil becomes insufficient add a little.

Add all the other vegetables and fry.

Add the sauce (stir it again to make sure that the cornstarch has dissolved) and pour over vegetables as oon as they are cooked to your satisfaction. Stir/sautee the lot for 5 seconds. Add sesame oil and stir only once. Pour the whole into serving dish.

Enjoy this Japanese-style Chinese food!

RECOMMENDED RELATED WEBSITES

Must-see tasting websites:

Barbecue, Brochettes, 美食, 里芋, 観光, 豚肉, 農業, Food, Gastronomes, Gastronomy, Japan, Japanese Gastronomy, Restaurants, Shizuoka, Shizuoka agricultural products, Shizuoka Cuisine, Tourism

French BBQ: Japanese Hamburger Lunch at Brochette Restaurant in Shizuoka City!

September 3, 2012 dragonlife 6 Comments

Service: Very friendly and great explanations
Equipment and facilities: Great overall cleanliness. Superb Washroom
Prices: Reasonable
Strong points: Great use of local meats and Vegetables. Very healthy BBQ and brochettes. Excellent reasonable wine list.

Brochette means “Kushiyaki/串焼き” in Japanese. One could say they mainly serve BBQ-style meat and vegetables on skewers for dinner. But it is not limited to that. They actually serve very reasonable full lunches!

Located along a very busy street in Shizuoka City, it is actually owned by a Driving School Company! Talk about diversifying!

Especially at lunch have a good look at the menu board outside!
But it is always a good idea to reserve as the place gets full within 30 minutes!

Once inside you will be handed very practical menus with photographs and clear price indications!

They also a special bargain lunch for every day of the week!

Brochette is very much a bistro-style establishment with many tables, one private room and 2 seats at a counter.
And it is entirely non-smoking at lunch time!

Chef Yoshinori Yanagisawa/柳沢義憲 ably helped by Sommelier Tomohiro Sugiyama/杉山友啓 prepares food with carefully selected vegetables and meat mainly from Shizuoka Prefecture!

A single look at the refrigerated display will convince you!

I love Japanese-style open hamburgers! They call them “Hambaagu” here!
So I opted for the 100% beef home-made hambaagu steak lunch set at a very reasonable price!

Onion consomme soup and fresh vegetable salad.

French bread and olive oil.
You can ask for plain rice instead.

The open hamburger with a demi-glace onion sauce and three kinds of vegetables served sizzling hot on its thick iron plate!

Not only the Japanese, but any Westerner will love mixing the mashed potato with the delicious sauce!
And it is so reasonable!

Look forward to the dinner report!

FRENCH BBQ/BROCHETTE
Shizuoka City, Aoi Ku, Ryogae-Cho, 2-7-12, Takinami Bldg. 1F (along the Egawa Street)
Tel.: 054-252-1700
Opening hours: 11:30~14:30, 18:00~23:00
Reservations highly recommended
Parties welcome (reservation requested from 4 people)
Cards OK (for dinner only)

RECOMMENDED RELATED WEBSITES

Must-see tasting websites:

美食, 酒, 観光, 農業, Fujinomiya City, Gastronomes, Gastronomy, sake, Sake Brewery, Shizuoka, Shizuoka agricultural products, Shizuoka Cuisine, Tourism

Shizuoka Sake Tasting: Sugii Brewery-Kin No Suke Junmai Natsu Shibori Nakatori Genshu Kimoto Shikomi

September 1, 2012 dragonlife Leave a comment

Sugii Brewery in Fujieda City makes nectars not only famous all over Japan but also comes with very detailed titles for them!
Alright, let’s go through some explanations:
Kin no Suke/きんの介 is the name of that particular series of sake.
Junmai/純米 means no pure sake alcohol was blended in.
Natsu Shibori/夏搾り means it was pressed in the summer

Nakatori/中取り means only the sake in the middle of the pressing was used.
Genshu/原酒 means that there was no pure water added to lower the alcohol level.

Kimoto Shikomi/生もと仕込み basically means that the whole process was done the traditional natural way.

Rice: Blended rice
Rice milled down to 70%
Dryness: + 6
Acidity: 1.7
Yeast: Association No 7
Alcohol: 18~19 degrees
Bottled in July 2012

Clarity: Very clear
Color: Golden hue
Aroma: Strong attack backed with pleasant alcohol. Fruity: Banana, vanilla.
Body: Fluid
Taste: Very dry soft attack in spite of strong and pleasant alcohol.
Disappears quickly on an even drier note.
Complex: Almonds, nuts, greens.
Varies little and stays dry with food. Dark chocolate appears later.
Very reminiscent of sake I used to drink a very long time ago.
Turns sweetish with vinegared foods. Dark chocolate and coffee beans appear with salty foods.

Overall: Another sake obviously conceived to enjoy food!
Although varies little with food, tends to show some very interesting facets depending on the dish.
Definitely takes on a sweeter note for a while just away from food.
Both straightforward and complex, a sake to enjoy with izakaya gastronomy!

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Japanese Restaurant: Rainbow Trout & Iwana Trout at Kagetsu in Fujinomiya City!

August 31, 2012 dragonlife Leave a comment

Service: Very kind and discreet
Facilities: Traditional but very clean. Old but clean washroom
Prices: Appropriate~slightly expensive
Strong points: Authentic traditional Japanese gastronomy mainly based on local products, especially fish and vegetables. Excellent sake list.

Last Tuesday after our visit to Kakishima Trout Farm we visited a local Japanese restaurant for lunch which had been recommended to us by Mrs. Izumi Iwamoto as they serve fish raised by her company: Kagetsu/花月!

Before entering the restaurant take a good look at its surroundings!

Traditional entrance.

Let’s have a peek at the little garden outside…

Some of the stones are lava blocks from Mount Fuji!

Intriguing antiques…

Once inside you will be greeted by a big trout!

A very traditional Japanese interior!

Fresh green and white goya/bitter melon from their own garden kindly offered to whomever wants them!

The eight of us had ordered the “o-tsukuri lunch set/sashimi lunch set”.
We were first served chilled red shiso/perilla leaves juice to quench our thirst on this very hot day!

Home-made pickles including white goya.

Chilled tougan/冬瓜/Winter melon.

Iwana/岩魚/Japanese char both as sashimi and cooked (chilled) with its skin!

Deep-fried Nijimasu/虹鱒/Rainbow trout with deep-fried egg plant and salad!

Extravagant fish to deep-fry. Absolutely yummy!

Most of the vegetables come from their own garden, including the mini tomatoes!

Rice and miso soup with plenty of seaweed, even that far from the sea!

For dessert chilled nashi pear with home-made aka kokemomo/赤コケモモ/Japanese cranberries jam!

The restaurant keeps and feeds their own batch of Kakishima Trout Farm fish in a special tank in their garden behind to insure perfect freshness!

KAGETSU/花月
Fujinomiya City, Yatate Cho, 737
Tel.: 0544-23-4141
Opening Hours: 11:30~14:00, 17:00~21:00
Closed on Mondays

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Rainbow Trout, Iwana Trout & Sakura Trout at Kakishima Trout Farm in Fujinomiya City!

August 30, 2012 dragonlife 2 Comments

Iwana Trout!

Last Wednesday I travelled all the way up to a site 700 meters high on the slopes of Mount Fuji in Fujinomiya City to visit arguably the best Trout Farm in Japan (there are 4 more companies in Fujinomiya City alone!) in the company of Chefs and Farmers from Central Shizuoka Prefecture who have just created a group called “Wasabi No Kai” to promote good food from production to the table!

The Wasabi No Kai” group of chefs (French, Italian and Spanish gastronomy in this case) a wine shop owner and a farmer from Fujieda City in discussion with the the President of Kakishima Trout Farm.

Mrs. Izumi Iwamoto/岩本いづみ!

It was another blistering hot day even in the morning with temperatures in the middle 30’s, but it did not prevent Mrs. Izumi Iwamoto, the 2nd generation owner of Kakishima Trout Farm, to take us on a grand tour of the premises with a wealth of explanations and information!

The fish farm was established 35 years ago in Fujinomiya City (the company has two other farms in Kannami and Izu City with a total of 8 staff) in a spot located at 700 meter altitude on the slopes of Mount Fuji because of the constant access to natural water at a constant temperature around 12 degrees for an ideal environment for fish farming.

One just has to take the water from the abundant waterfalls and streams nearby!

The water is funneled into concrete open-air tanks covered with nets to protect them from birds and falling leaves in particular.

The water goes through nets at the entrance of each tank to filter any debris out.

The water is then allowed to flow constantly through the tanks.

The water is finally released back into the nature.
The water will never be used twice or allowed to stagnate, ensuring the safety of the fish and their meat.
Thanks to this constant help from the nature a great load of the work is taken off the staff’s shoulders who are constantly busy feeding the fish, repairing the nets, cleaning the tanks, clearing the surroundings and what else!

All the nature surrounding the farm is free from any agrichemicals or pesticides which might find their way into the water!

Enormous iwana up to 2 kg apiece!
It takes no less than 2 years to bring such a fish to maturity!

TKaushi Trout Farm breeds Iwana Trout/岩魚/”Rock Fish”, an indigenous Japanese branch of char, Niji Masu/虹鱒/Rainbow trout and a small number of Sakura Masu/桜鱒/Cherry Trout. The annual total production (including the other two farms) is 200 tonnes.

A 2-kg Iwana!

Rainbow trouts!

It is dawn to dusk work, even for Mrs. Iwamoto who had woken up at 5:00 a.m. to feed the fish in the company of her son before welcoming us for her interview!

Not only the fish has to be prepared for delivery (with plenty of ice in summer!) in safe packaging every day but also live to many fishing ponds all over the nation! Actually they are the only company in Japan capable to provide live fighting fish for the pleasure of anglers and gastronomes!

But for all the ideal natural environment and the daily care the main concern is feed!
And 35 years of experience and personal research were certainly not too much.
They used to produce their feed with half of it home-made and half bought, especially Peruvian anchovy.

But due to the price increase and quality decrease of the latter they decided to use Japanese meal (Yaizu bonito for example) for better and safer traceability.
Trouts are voracious fish and they have to be fed every morning!

The feed is a strict and constant mixture of higher quality fish, wheat, vitamins and natural salt.
No shortcuts like oily or fatty components are used to accelerate the growth of the fish.
From this very year all feed is completely natural, even including cocoa husks for polyphenols!
Mrs. Iwamamoto is always carrying a colormeter with her to check the color and leanness of the flesh of their fish!

But even so, nature itself can bring all these efforts to produce extravagant fish to nought: a particularly ferocious typhoon carried away or killed all the fish two years ago!

Iwana Trout at Kagetsu Restaurant in Fujinomiya City!

Kakishima Trout farm fish are gaining a greatly deserved celebrity in our Prefecture and are recognized as Shizuoka Prefecture Agricultural Products by the Government and gastronomic restaurants are hurrying to better know and acquire their fish!
Expect to find their fish in coming reports on local restaurants!

KAKISHIMA TROUT FARM Co.

Office: 419-0115, Shizuoka Prefecture, Tago Gun, Kannami Cho, Shinden, 125-1
Tel.: 055-970-3031
Fax: 055-970-3032
Mobile: 090-6942-3438 (Mrs. Izumi Iwamoto)
Mail address: izumi_iwamoto@kakishima-troutfarm.com

Main Farm: 418-0108 Shizuoka Prefecture, Fujinomiya City, Inozo, nakamura. 495-1
Tel.: 0544-52-0181
Fax: 0544-52-0216

HOMEPAGE (Japanese)

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Bryan Baird’s Newsletter (2012/08/29): Three Late Summer Seasonal Releases

August 29, 2012 dragonlife Leave a comment

Baird Beer & Taproom Events Bulletin

Three Late Summer Seasonal Releases

Dear Taproom Friend & Baird Beer Enthusiast:

As we move into September, summer begins to fade into fall — though it certainly doesn’t feel like that yet. As an antidote to the lingering late-summer heat, we are happy to announce the immediate release of three thirst-quenching seasonal brews: Japan Tale Ale 2012, Baird Belgian Tripel, and Plum Session Ale.

New Baird Beer Seasonal Releases:

*Japan Tale Ale 2012 (ABV 5%):

Brewed with a host of indigenous Japanese ingredients (un-malted wheat, korizato sugar, fresh ume plums and, of course, lovely soft Numazu water) Japan Tale Ale is lightly hopped, pleasantly tart and extremely refreshing. It’s hazy, milky-white color and snow-white foam collar are reminiscent of a Belgian witbier. It drinks, though, like a beer version of a well-made ume sour (a popular drink served in traditional Japanese pubs that is made with distilled shochu and plums and served carbonated on ice).

Japan Tale Ale 2012 is now pouring from the taps of each of our Baird Beer Taproom pubs and will be available both on draught and in 360 ml bottles at Baird Beer retailing pubs and liquor shops throughout Japan.

*Baird Belgian Tripel (ABV 8.5%):

Belgian-style Tripels are stealthily potent golden ales — rich yet briskly refreshing — that originated in the historical context of monastic brewing in Belgium. The quintessential example of this style, and one of my favorite Belgian ales, is the iconic monastic beer, Westmalle Tripel.

The Baird take on this glorious style incorporates an all-base malt grist bill of floor-malted Maris Otter and Bohemian Pilsner as well as a blend Japan, German and English wheat. Kettle gravity is strengthened by a generous addition of Japanese sudakito and korizato sugars. The hopping rate is moderate (25 IBUs) and includes the floral-spicy varieties Sterling, Saaz and Styrian Golding. Fermentation is warm (24-25 C) and happily carried out by our Belgian witbier-derived yeast strain. Apparent Attenuation is high (88.5%) and thus the alcohol content is strong. As per our custom with high-alcohol beers, we krausen at packaging to produce a secondary fermentation and natural carbonation in keg or bottle.

Baird Belgian Tripel is draught only. It is pouring at our Taproom pubs beginning today and is available for immediate release to all fine beer establishments in Japan. Please contact Kojima-san to place an order.

*Plum Session Ale (ABV 4.1%):

What should a brewer do when unexpectedly receiving a bundle of perfectly ripe, freshly harvested local plums? After eating one or two, he should formulate a session-beer recipe that allows the softly sweet-tart essence of the plums free play; and then he should fire up the mash tun and get busy.

Our diligence in early July has yielded this wonderul late-August beer harvest. Come visit a Taproom today and help us to enjoy the fruit of this harvest. Plum Session Ale is being served as real ale on hand-pump and exclusively at our Baird Beer Taproom pubs.

Cheers,

Bryan Baird

Baird Brewing Company
Numazu, Japan
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